B&b Bargains

Canadian Coast Offers Much In Off-season

January 22, 1989|By ELAINE BAKER Special to the Daily Press

A dollar still buys a dollar's worth in Canada's Maritime Provinces, and a dollar goes even farther if, while your visiting there, you take advantage of the area's excellent bed and breakfast establishments.

My husband and I spent two weeks in Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, and Prince Edward Island last fall, just as the tourist season was winding down. We loved it. It was clean, uncrowded, and beautiful.

We saw spectacular scenery - breathtaking seascapes, lonely lighthouses perched on cliffs, colorful fishing villages, secluded coves and placid lakes. We learned about the history of the area through interesting museums and reconstructions. We also saw some unusual sights, such as the Bay of Fundy's 45-foot tides and a "magnetic hill" where your car seems to coast up a long hill. We also found countless opportunites for golfing, hunting, fishing, and hiking.

But among our fondest memories of the trip will be the various bed and breakfast establishments that we stayed in. Each one was an adventure and a welcome relief from the generic motels that dot U.S. highways.

We began our Canadian trek in Yarmouth, on the far western end of Nova Scotia, having taken the six-hour ferry ride from Bar Harbour, Maine. We took the time to drive around the town and look at several B&B's listed in the Department of Tourism's official travel guide. Each of the Maritime Provinces provides complete information on all types of accommodations, including prices (all prices listed are for double rooms and in U.S. dollars, plus tax, calculated at the rate of one U.S. dollar equalling $1.25 Canadian).

We soon settled on The Gables, a striking Victorian home built in 1870 and once owned by Albert Fuller, owner of the Fuller Brush Co. We were the first customers of the day, so we had our choice among the three rooms available. We chose what was obviously a child's room - light and airy, with brightly colored rainbows ringing the walls. The cost, including a hearty bacon and eggs breakfast, was $27.

The next morning around the breakfast table we picked up tips on where to go and what to see from some guests who were just concluding their vacation.

Baddeck was to be our headquarters for exploring the spectacular scenery of the Cape Breton highlands. It was fairly late when we reached there, so we were not too surprised to find "No vacancy" signs at the first two or three places.

Finally we came across Sealladh Aluinn, and Joan Roberts installed us in a cozy, though rather cluttered room with a TV, radio, and a good view of Bras d'Or Lake. Our $18.50 fee included a large bacon and eggs breakfast, complete with honey from Mr. Roberts' bee hives.

Our next B&B encounter occurred in Parrsboro, Nova Scotia, where we were fascinated to observe fishing boats mired in the mud at low tide many feet below the pier. Six hours later the same boats were floating almost level with the pier when the tides crested. The Maple Inn was a newly renovated and beautifully decorated Italianate-style mansion dating back to 1890. It had served as the town hospital for 30 years up to 1976; many residents had been born there.

When we arrived, the one room with a private bath had already been taken, but we happily rented a large front room with a bay window for $25, including breakfast. The owner, Kathleen Boles, served dinner by reservation, but we regretfully declined because late in the afernoon we had indulged in extravagant desserts at a Dutch cheese farm nearby. Next morning's breakfast consisted of blueberry juice, whole wheat pancakes, and sausage.

The listing for the Bayberry Cliffs bed & breakfast in the Prince Edward Island Visitors' Guide sounded spectacular: "On a high cliff overlooking the ocean." We adore ocean views, so while waiting to board the ferry which would take us to Prince Edward Island, we reserved a room through the tourist office at the ferry slip.

Alas, when we arrived we found our room had no view, as the rooms in the front of the house were already taken. Furthermore, to reach the bathroom (also the laundry room) we had to descend a narrow staircase and go through a large room which served as the owner's office and kitchen. This turned out to be our only disappointing experience with B&B's, and even there our room was comfortable, the hosts friendly and helpful, and breakfast superb.

Our next B&B stop, at Shediac, New Brunswick, turned out to be the most elegant. As we entered Chez Francoise we passed through heavy leaded-glass double doors, past an impressive carved coat rack, and into a spacious entry hall dominated by a huge oak staircase. This turn-of-the-century mansion was built by a wealthy Scottish merchant for his family.

We chose a large room with a private bath costing $35 which included a petit dejeuner served on a tray in our room. That night we enjoyed excellent French cuisine served in one of the inn's handsome dining rooms.